Comminuted fuel mixing and feeding apparatus



y 1, 1936. w. J. PORTEOUS 2,048,139

COMMI'NUTED FUEL MIXING: AND FEEDING APPARATUS Original Filed Aug. 24, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l r" 1' I l u,

Fl I INVENTOR.

' WJPURTEDUE I. 0 ATTORNEY.

July 21, 1936. w. J. PORTEOUS GQMMINUTED FUEL MIXING AND FEEDING APPARATUS 2 Sh eets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Aug. 24, 1953 INVENTOR.

5 U U E T m W ATTORNEY.

. Patented July 21, 1936 PATENT OFFICE COMMINUTED FUEL MIXING AND FEEDING APPARATUS Walter J. Porteous, Saginaw, Mich.

Application August 24, 1933, Serial No. 686,543 Renewed February 17, 1936 Claims. (01. 259-44) This invention relates to an apparatus for feeding comminuted fuel such as powdered coal or the like, combined and properly mixed with air, into a combustion'chamber. The principal ob- .5; Jedi, therefore, of my invention is to provide a device that will successfully measure and feed cormninuted coal and air into a combustion chamber and in such condition as to assure proper and successful combustionof all gases and fuel inside the combustion chamber.

A further object of my invention is to provide a powdered material and air mixing device that may be easily and quickly adjusted by the operator for feeding any desired amount of the comminuted material relative to the amount of air being used. 7 V

A still further object of this invention is to provide a powdered fuel mixing and feeding apparatus that is simple in construction and when once installed, requires little or no attention from the operator or user.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a powdered fuel feeding apparatus that will feed the fuel uniformly at all times, thereby eliminating any possibility of the flooding of the powdered material into a combustion chamber.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a comminuted material mixing and feeding apparatus that is economical in manufacture and durable in use.

. These and other ob ects will be apparent 'to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangernent and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,'in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of my apparatus ready for use and with sections cut away to more fully illustrate the construction'of the same.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of the lower portion of the feeding cone valve used in the apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a side sectional view of the operating gears and manual means for adjusting the amount of powdered material being fed by the device.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the apparatus and illus- 5 trates the position of the fan housing relative to the other elements of the apparatus.

The greatest possible efliciency that can be obtained from coal is when the same has been reduced to a powdered condition and combined and 55 properly mixed with the correct proportions of air. It is apparent that the principal difliculties experienced in the burning of comminuted coal or like as a fuel exists in the difiiculty of successfully mixing the fuel and air in order that an intense flame will be obtained without the loss of .5 unconsumed particles.

Another difiiculty in feeding powdered coal to combustion chambers is the trouble experienced in attempting to measure and stoke the fuel with uniformity in order that undesirable flooding or 10 arching of the fuel will be eliminated. I have overcome such difficulties as will be appreciated by those familiar with the art.

Referring to the drawings, I have used the numeral H] to designate a hopper or bin for hold- 15 ing the powdered material to be measured, fed, or mixed with air. This hopper ID has its bottom extending downwardly in the form of a funnel terminating in a circuit opening II. The numeral l2 designates a conduit having its top open 30 and its length extending downwardly and to one side of the vertical axis of the device. This conduit I2 passes almost directly below the opening II in the bottom of the hopper Ill. The numeral I3 designates a funnel member having its upper 5 end communicating with the opening H and its lower end communicating with the inside of the conduit l2 at a point intermediate of thetwo ends of the conduit, as shown in Fig. 1. The numeral I4 designates a fan housing having its inlet port 30 communicating with the inside of the lower end of the conduit I2. The discharge end l5 of this fan housing is designed to be in communication with the inside of a combustion chamber or the like. The numeral l6 designates'a, centrifugal fan 5 rotatably mounted inside the fanhousing M. The numeral ll designates a gear housing. The numeral I8 designatesthe base of the apparatus. The numeral l9 designates a supporting webbing secured to thebase I8 and supporting the gear 40 housing H. The numeral 20 designates a similar supporting'webbing on top of the gear housing H for supporting the conduit l2 and other elements of the apparatus positioned abovethe gear housing H. The numeral 2| designates a'vertical 45 shaft having its lower end slidably and rotatably extending intothe gear housing I! and its upper end slidably and rotatably extending into the funnel member l3 and bottom portion of the hopper l0, as shown in Fig. 1. 1

As this shaft 2l extends vertically through the conduit l2 it is embraced by a stationary sleeve 22 to protect the same from engagement with the powdered material. This sleeve 22 has its lower end extending below the conduit IZ and its upper its upper end extending well into the bottom of the hopper l and its lower end terminating inside the funnel portion l3 with its lower marginal ed e beveled to conform with the inside angle of'the flared portion of the member l3.

The numeral 24 designates a well in the bottom of the cone 23 and adjacent the shaft 2i for loosely accommodating the upper end of the sleeve 22. This well'24 is ofsufficientdepth tof permit the cone 23 to be substantially lowered or raised without the exposureof the upper marginal rim of the sleeve 22. This construction prevents undesirable powdered material passing 7 into the sleeve 22. and around the encased por= tion of the shaft 2|. "Ihe numeral 25 designates an agitating arm rigidly secured to the cone23 and extending upwardly and outwardly inside the hopper Hi. The numeral 26 designates a similar but shorter agitating arm rigidly secured to the cone 23 and positioned at a point substantially below the point where the arm 25 is secured tothe cone. The numeral 21 designatesa plurality of spaced apart fins on the lower portionof the cone .23. These fins 27 extend upwardly and forwardly when the cone 23 is rotated to the right in order to produce an auger effect on the powdered fuel inside the funnel member 13 for forcing the same downwardly past the cone 23 and into the conduit l2. The numerai 28 designates a spool rigidly secured on the shaft 2| and positioned between the conduit l2 and the gear housing H. The numeral 29 designates a boss formed on the top of the housing H and at one side of the shaft 2 I, as shown in I plates secured to the forward end of the link 3| and positioned at. each side or the body of the spool 28, for engagementiwitli the spool 28, as

shown in the drawings; The numeral 33 desig-' 33. The numeral designates a handle memher on topfof' the spool 36 for facilitating the manual; rotation of the spool 36 and rod 35. The numeral 38 designates a wheel rotatably mounted inthe gearhousing I! and having the fiber ring gear 39" secured by suitable. means to its periphery. This gear wheel 38 has a square polein its center for slidably engaging and acfcominodating' the rectangular portion 40 of the port for the horizontal gear wheel 38. The numeral 43 designates an oil tray forr'nedjon the fcenter' portion of the gear wheel 318:; The numeral 44, designates an" oil" filling opening plug in the top of the housing I"! and directly above the tray 43. Oil over-flowing from thetray' 43 V fi'irnishes sufficient oil for all of the moving parts inside the housing i1.

In order to encourage oil to flow toward the outer inside wall of the hous ing l1, the bottom of the housing I! 'extendsouta wardly and slightly downwardly from its center point, as shown in Fig. 3. 1 Y

The numeral 45 designates a prime mover I mounted on the base i8-andf having the drive shaft 46 The'numeral 41 designates a shaft having one end operative connected to the drive;

shaft 46 and its other end operatively connected to the fan IS. The numeral 48 designates a Worm gear embracing and rigidly secured on the shaft A! intermediate of its two ends. .This worm --gear'48 is postioned inside the gear housing I! and is in mesh with the fiber ring gear 39 of the gear wheel 38. The numeral 49 designates a .m eshscreen closing the upper end of the con-,

The practical operation of the device'is as follows: With powdered material in the hopper Ill and the prime mover 45 running,the member-'3'! is rotated to the right, thereby moving the outer the cone 23- moved upwardly a space exist between its lower end portion and the funnel portion l3 and it is through this space that the powdered material passes from the hopper I ll and funnel member l3 downwardly into the conduit I2. Naturally,the space between the lower end i of the cone 23 and the funnel member l3'will determine the amount of material being fed into the'conduit l2. This spaceis adjustably had by rotating the control handle member 31 to the right or to the'left. The position of the central portion of the link 3! maybe obtained for zeroing purposes by rotating the rod'13ll. The prime mover 45 will rotate the shaft 41 to the right, thereby rotating the worm gear 313 and' fanl-B As the fiber ring :gear 39 is in engagement with the worm gear 48 the same will be rotated to the left, whichwillalso rotate the shaft 2 l to the-left and itsfeeding valve cone 2 3. g 1 5 As the arms 25 and 23 are secured to the rotating cone 23 they'will agitate andbreak up the- 7 material inside the hopper, thereby causing the same to pass readily'into the'top of the funnel member I3. The 2! will engage this powdered material 'and'force it downwardly through the space existing between the cone and funnel member when the cone mem ber isin an elevated operatin'g, position. The suction of the fan It will also aid in drawing the powdered material down wardlyinto the conduit and into the fan housing M. The fan #6 will'also draw in air through the 7 top of the conduit f2 and thi s air andpowdered material will be substantially mixedhpoii its entrance into the fan housing, due to the'fact that the powdered materialjwil'l fall" directly into the current. of air passing. through the conduit [2. Inside the'fan housing the proper mixing of the air and powdered material will be completed, due tothe actionv of thefan f filwhich Willdeliver the mixed air and powdered 'material through the discharge portion l5 of the fanfhousing, and into the combustion chamber.-- f d From. the foregoing it w'il'l'readily 'be 'seen that g I have provided a. devicefor successfully feeding'and mixing air and powdered material into a combustion chamber and' one: that is entirely controiledand regulated by the: single handle Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my improved comminuted fuel mixing and feeding apparatus without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalent which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a fan housing having inlet and outlet ports, a fan rotatably mounted in said housing, a downwardly inclined conduit having its upper end communicating with the outside atmosphere and its lower end communicating with the inlet port of said fan housing, a downwardly extending funnel member designed to be in communication with a source of powdered material and its lower end communicating with the inside top of said conduit at a point between its two ends, an upwardly extending vertical cone feeding valve having a flat bottom and rotatably mounted wholly in said funnel member, a means for adjustably obtaining the vertical position of said valve relative to said funnel member, and a prime mover for rotating said fan and said valve.

2. In a device of the class described, a fan housing having inlet and outlet ports, a fan rotatably mounted in said housing, a conduit having one end communicating with the outside atmosphere and its other end communicating with the inlet port of said fan housing, a downwardly extending vertical funnel member designed to be in communication with a source of powdered material and its lower end communicating with the inside top of said conduit at a point between its two ends, an upwardly extending vertical cone feed-- ing valve having a flat bottom and Wholly rotatably mounted in said funnel member for controllingthe amount of material passing through the said funnel member, a means for adjustably positioning the height of said valve relative to said funnel member, and a means for rotating said fan and said valve.

3. In a device of the class described, a fan housing having inlet and outlet ports, a fan rotatably mounted in said housing, a conduit having one end communicating with the outside atmosphere and its other end communicating with the inlet port of said fan housing, a vertical funnel member designed to be in communication with a source of powdered material and its lower end communicating with the inside top of said conduit at a point between its two ends, a vertical cone feeding valve wholly rotatably mounted in said funnel member having its lower circular edge smoothly beveled to conform with the inside outi line of said funnel member, a means for adjustably positioning the height of said valve relative to said funnel member, and a means for rotating said fan and said valve.

4. In a device of the class described, a fan housing having inlet and outlet ports, a fan rotatably mounted in said housing, a conduit having one end communicating with the outside atmosphere and its other end communicating with the inlet port of said fan housing, a downwardly extending vertical funnel member designed to be in communication with a source of powdered material and its lower end communicating with the inside top of said conduit at a point between its two ends, an upwardly extending vertical cone feeding valve having a flat bottom and wholly rotatably mounted in said funnel member for controlling the amount of material passing through the said funnel member, agitating arms secured to said cone feeding valve, a means for adjustably positioning the height of said valve relative to said funnel member, and a means for rotating said fan and said valve,

5. In a device of the class described, a fan housing having inlet and outlet ports, a fan rotatably mounted in said housing, a conduit having one end communicating with the outside atmosphere and its other end communicating with the inlet port of said fan housing, a downwardly extending vertical funnel member designed to be in communication with a source of powdered material and its lower end communicating with the inside top of said conduit at a point between its two ends, an upwardly extending vertical cone feeding valve having a flat bottom and wholly rotatably mounted in said funnel member for con trolling the amount of material passing through the said funnel member, material depressing fins on said cone, a means for adjustably positioning the height of said valve relative to said funnel member, and a means for rotating said fan and said valve.

WALTER J. PORTEOUS. 

